Running Bear's Coffee Sbop LXIX


Terry: It may interest you to know, that even when you are not subscribed to OnStar, the service monitors you use of the vehicle. When the wife's 2008 Caddie was due for service, I arranged to take it to the Caddie dealer. While driving over, on the morning of the appointment, I noticed the green on star light was on, although I have not subscribed to the service for over a year. When my turn with the Service advisor came up, he had all the recent diagnostic data, including tire pressure on his screen...now, where do you suppose they gleaned that data? The day following the visit, the wife complained that her settings had changed. There was nothing, that the dealer did, to change anything, they just changed the oil, and rotated the tires.
I had planned to disconnect the system before the trial ran out, but I may have waited too long. Supposedly, all I have to do to disable it is unplug the connectors to the mirror. I wasn't happy they are tracking everything I do with the truck, but the very loud reminder my subscription is going to expire is a little beyond what I am willing to put up with.
 
Joe .... GE is $18.04 a share at the moment. It was over $30 / share a year ago. .... Thanks for remarking about the F3's.

Chet ... Sorry to hear your eyes are not as good as they were. It seams like you are doing a great job adding details such as the winterization hatch, and I was surprised you said that.

Willie ... Recall reading about the move to TX. I would bet the new owner (if there is one) will remain there.,,,, You downtown buildings look great.
 
Garry - I'm not going blind, but years ago when I was adding all of the small details I didn't have to think twice about it, but now I need to use a magnifier. It's just a pain in the butt and not as easy as it used to be. Yes, I'm whining.

Terry - I don't know about just unplugging On-Star from the mirror will work. Talking to a friend who is a mechanic and worked for a GM dealer, the On-Star system is tied into the vehicles computer and trying to disconnect it may shut down the vehicle. Also heard that from salesmen, but what do they know. I never tried that. My Buick had a little antenna on the rear window which I took off. It is now sitting under the spare tire in the trunk. The Silverado is going down the road so I could care less.
 
Good Morning everyone....!

Just saying hello before going to the clinic for blood tests.

Ken: Sorry about your loss.

Chet: Sorry about your eye sight starting to get a bit weaker. I'm in the same boat and I am considering buying one of those magnifying headsets for a X-mas present to myself. I have cataracts and think I start the removal process after the first of the year. I increase my work lighting for a better view.

Terry: I have the OnStar system in my Chevy truck and really need find no use for it and question its value. The oil change mileage is based on 15,000 miles between changes, synthetic or not, no way. Change at 4,000 miles. Phone too expensive. The door unlocking feature maybe worth some $$$.

Garry: Isn't railroad stock prices down in general due to pressure from the truck transportation sector?

More train room later today. Dullcote the last smoke stack and add soot. Will show some pictures when done.

Keep losing items on my work bench...glad I have two Exacto handles.

That's all for now.

Greg

My Track photo of the day!

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Willie - Those building are looking really good. Should really look sweet when more details are added. I would like to model an urban scene, but being that my railroad is set in a rural area, that ain't going to happen. Garry has a really good looking urban area.

Terry - I got those calls from On-Star when the one year (at that time) trial period was over and talk about a high pressure bunch of people. I got numerous calls from them. I did have a cell phone at the time and didn't need their service. I explained that On-Star didn't work in a lot of the places I traveled. Cell service was very spotty across Montana back then. I kept getting calls and got to the point that I asked them what they didn't understand, the N or the O and just hung up on them. Even today with the terrain we have where we live, cell service is not the best.

Greg - The eyesight really isn't bad except for close up work. I guess after having no problems years ago that I am spoiled. The magnifier solves the problem. Just an inconvenience. I have three of them around the house. One upstairs at my work bench, one down in the train room and one more that has escaped to some spot in the house I haven't found yet.
 
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Greg. ... railroad stocks actually have performed well long term. Several years ago, I bought BNSF stock for $26 a share. About 8 years later, Warren Buffet’s Company bought it for $100 per share. Not bad.
 
Greg. ... railroad stocks actually have performed well long term. Several years ago, I bought BNSF stock for $26 a share. About 8 years later, Warren Buffet’s Company bought it for $100 per share. Not bad.

Wonder what Buffet is going to do when the pipelines are completed. Didn't he buy a lot of new tank cars?
 
Garry: I better correct the financial guy who advise I don't heed.

I think he is looking long term and the worries about crude oil being carried by rail and the potential for an accident and the proposed long distance long pipe lines.

Maybe?

Greg
 
Just a quickie report on my club's v Fed Committee standoff. I'm becoming suspicious of which one is actually being the instigator, I am considering at this coming Thursday night's monthly meeting of just making a motion that the club investigate the procedure necessary of withdrawing from the Association. Cut out all the BS. My investigation, including speaking with the State Govt department by phone, can't find any confirmation of the huge penalties being promoted as being liable. The only confirmation is that the club comply with State requirements. As far a I can ascertain, we already are and have been for years. The Act that covers it has been in force since 1989, with only minor changes since. When the Special EGM rolls around, I'll put the motion to actually withdraw. My reason will be that the continuing saga is spoiling my enjoyment of the hobby (the SEGM is being held on a DCC running day, during my allotted running time).

Politics: Blaaaaahh!
 
Good Afternoon All,

Today I read about a major Navy scandal that happened in Singapore and occurred over many years. It appears that a Singapore national overcharged the Navy for supplies and whatever else they needed. The same person provided money, alcohol, women and other perks to senior officers. It looks like some officers have pleaded guilty. Supposedly there are several admirals involved (I think they are retired now). I checked a couple of different sources because I figured it was FB BS.

We don't use Onstar. The government looks over our shoulder too much as it is.

Joe- A while back I saw a old video about getting a GG1 ready for a passenger train. Part of it was going thru the wash rack.

Garry- Interesting news about GE. Our local light rail uses Seimens locomotives. Great picture of your F3's. It must of been a pain for the CB&Q to keep the white/cream colored paint clean.

Terry- I hate it when a doctor does that.

VA Ken- I am very sorry for your friends loss.

Chet- Nice rail pic and GG1 pic.

I hope everyone has a good night.
 
Good evening, 39 and dark outside. Think I'm going to restrict my posts to evening hours for a while. The wife thinks I'm spending too much time on the computer in the morning.:confused:

Curt: There was once a state of the art (in 1939), semi automated washer at the Sunnyside Pit, which was specifically designed to wash electric motors used in passenger service. Back then yard engines, such as the DD1 and the B1 were used to pull the trains from the station, through the washer and into the yard. Road power cut off in the station, and went directly to the pit. Somewhere along the line, this practice was discontinued and the current practice of keeping the road power coupled to the train, through the car washer was thought to be sufficient. I believe that the video you refer to was the washer at the pit.

Garry: Back in 2009, GE Stock was ranging between, $8.00, and $20 / share. I was buying cheap, and selling when I doubled my money. I stopped trading and went to Mutual Funds, but left GE on my Watch List, along with Pfizer. Neither has performed very well over the last nine years. If GE drops below $12, I may take a flyer on it. The company has a solid business core, and should be performing better than it has. CSX, on the other hand, is lagging because of all the bad publicity generated by HH. Right now, my choice would be UP and KCS.

Greg: Stock analysts and promoters are prone to giving bad advice. That's why I don't use a full commission brokerage. I can make my own mistakes. And a $5.00 trade is cheap. Bloomberg has an article on how by 2025, the US will out produce OPEC, Russia and other Oil Cartels, and dominate the market. Pipelines are running into all sorts of political and environmental opposition. Oil train accidents are overblown. Coal is Dead, and that has affected all railroads, however, there is more to transport other than coal.

Terry and Chet: Concerning OnStar, It's much more than a cell phone service, but since there are alternative technology's available, that are not limited to time spent in the car, I don't believe the cost is justified. Their sales people are extremely aggressive. I kept it active on the Caddy much longer than I should have, because my wife liked the security blanket aspect of it. I finally convinced her she didn't need OnStar, and didn't spend enough time in the car to justify Sirius -XM Radio. The whole tie it was active, maybe eight years, we had one unlock request, at the dealers, during a power failure, no less. And they initially wouldn't remotely unlock, because I forgot the damn password. Finally, with the assistance of the Service Manager, they unlocked the vehicle. Was not long after, that I wouldn't renew.

Cut the Homasote and Pink Foam for the latest section of benchwork, and glued it in place. It's curing now.

Have a good evening
 
Howdy.

Information that may be useful to somebody department .

I was on the phone with IHC Hobbies in Houston today because they have replacement parts I need for a Mantua locomotive. I was told they will be selling via their website some trains at sharply discounted prices because of minor damage caused by hurricane Harvey floods. It is the boxes that are damaged. They hope to have the online sale begin in December . I don’t know what items will be on sale.

Another piece of information. Chet may be interested. Athearn’s website shows their passenger cars now include the Northern Pacific Loewy paint scheme. These are both heavyweight and streamlined cars . It is the same cars they have been selling for a very long time, but I have not seen them with these colors before. I might consider the observation car myself.
 
Club update. The voting papers for the Federal Com arrived today, along with revisions to the Fed Constitution. None of which address concerns. An email from my Club "suggesting" who to vote for in that election to eventually, if elected, get the changes needed to happen, will still require at least 12 months to get done. e.g. a new constitution after loads of consultation. I was going to put in a notice of a motion for tomorrow night to propose investigating the disassociation of the club from the central organisation and short circuit what can only be a drawn out and circuitous route, without any guarantees of success. I'll still take it with me to gauge the mood of the meeting. I know there's quite some support for that solution, so we'll see. As I've said there's only 4 associated clubs in the country out of many others that do this. As far as I can see, the Associations greatest value is to international visitors to find an Australian organisation to contact, but then only in a handful of States and Cities. Is that worth the hassle, work and delays?
 
The stuff will be 40% off, as-is, where-is.
Howdy.

Information that may be useful to somebody department .

I was on the phone with IHC Hobbies in Houston today because they have replacement parts I need for a Mantua locomotive. I was told they will be selling via their website some trains at sharply discounted prices because of minor damage caused by hurricane Harvey floods. It is the boxes that are damaged. They hope to have the online sale begin in December . I don’t know what items will be on sale.

Another piece of information. Chet may be interested. Athearn’s website shows their passenger cars now include the Northern Pacific Loewy paint scheme. These are both heavyweight and streamlined cars . It is the same cars they have been selling for a very long time, but I have not seen them with these colors before. I might consider the observation car myself.
 
Good morning Everybody!

I'm still busy, but thankful I can be.

I miss my trains and my trains buddies, but in time life will return to a new normal.

Have a great day Everybody and God Bless you all!
 
Good morning everyone. 53 and raining like crazy. Should clear off this afternoon and hit 60. Time for a cup of coffee.

MOH and I had the day off yesterday, but part of that was spent sitting in a dentist's chair. New dentist for us - got more than a little perturbed at our previous one. This guy is great and we like the dental hygienist as well. We both have some dental work that needs to be done over the next few months.

Willie - nice photos of your structures. I build the Corner Cafe too. Mine's still empty - either need to find some scale furniture to go inside or else some good decals for the windows.
Chet - trading the mower deck for the snow plow - it's always something, isn't it?
Beach Bum - My wife doesn't mind so much that I'm on the forum, but that's about all I do on the computer in the mornings - keep it short. Scatter other stuff throughout the day.
Terry - How does that old Albert King blues song go - - "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all"

Made significant progress on the landscaping of the hill in back of the town and ballasting the mainline track back there. I still stink at ballasting but i think I'm getting better. Started painting the eyebrows and other architectural features of MR-V. As Willie (and others) knows, there are 50 or so windows in that structure! This is gonna take a while. Also, I see a way to expand the layout with an additional narrow peninsula. Shhhh - don't tell my wife (the land baron).

Have a good day everyone.
 



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